USC sits in third place after two rounds


By
 in ,

The No. 1 USC women’s golf team rode a 7-under par performance yesterday during the second round of the SDSU Farms Invitational to overtake co-host San Diego State and tie fellow Pac-12 competitor Arizona State for third place. With just 18 holes left to play tomorrow at the Farms C.C. in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the USC women’s golf team hopes to overtake crosstown rival No. 2 UCLA for the championship trophy. The Bruins lead the Women of Troy by eight strokes.

Walk in the park · Sophomore Annie Park fired a 4-under 68 in the second round of the Farms Invitational yesterday, tying for a team best. Park and freshman Karen Chung were the only teammates to shoot in the 60s. - Courtesy of USC Sports Information

Walk in the park · Sophomore Annie Park fired a 4-under 68 in the second round of the Farms Invitational yesterday, tying for a team best. Park and freshman Karen Chung were the only teammates to shoot in the 60s. – Courtesy of USC Sports Information

Sophomore Annie Park and freshman Karen Chung provided the Women of Troy with two solid rounds of 68 yesterday, the only pair of teammates in the tournament to produce scores in the 60s during the second round of play. Sophia Popov arguably proved to be the difference maker for USC, posting a 2-under 70 yesterday, improving on her 10-over par round on Monday.

After 36 holes, the Women of Troy have their work cut out for them, trailing the first place UCLA Bruins and the second place Stanford Cardinal. The Bruins remain the only team with under par performances for both the first and second rounds, led by freshman Alison Lee, who strung together scores of 68 and 73.

Both No. 9 Stanford and No. 4 Arizona State performed well enough yesterday to strengthen their chances at catching UCLA. The Cardinal remain the only team with three competitors under par in the tournament, with freshman Casey Danielson and sophomore Lauren Kim impressively finishing both rounds at 4-under par.

Individual leader Emma Henrikson of unranked San Diego State posted consistent scores of 68 and 69 during the first two rounds to sit at 7-under par. Her fellow Aztecs failed to contribute to their team effort with no other player under par; they trail the first place Bruins by 13 strokes. USC’s Karen Chung leads the Women of Troy at 2-under on the tournament, placing her in a tie for fifth on the individual leaderboard.

After winning the Bruin Wave Invitational on March 4, the Women of Troy hope to continue their momentum with another victory tomorrow. Annie Park recorded her record setting ninth round in the 60s for the Women of Troy at the Bruin Invitational and extended that record to 10 rounds after posting a stellar 4-under 68 Tuesday.

This promising second round by the USC women’s golf team will hopefully give the team the push they need to win their second straight tournament this month. For the top ranked Women of Troy, this third round could not provide a better stage to showcase their chemistry as a team, as well as their individual skill as golfers.